The Serpent Chronicles
by Cats Cradle
Summary: WOW, 3 CHAPS UP AT ONCE!!!!!! The bite of a serpent......he changed........that´s where everything starts...... READ & REVIEW PLEASE
1. Prologue

Standard Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah....I do NOT own Escaflowne  
  
  
  
  
  
The Serpent Chronicles  
  
  
  
Prologue:  
  
  
  
  
  
Hitomi returned home- to the Mystic Moon. Her family, friends and her life was there. She couldn´t think of her mother worrying about her. She had been away for so long, and even though she loved Van.........yes, she had finally realized that she really loved him, she had to go back.  
  
  
  
When Hitomi returned, they were all happy, even her younger brother. Nobody, except her mother believed the stories about Gaea, well.....Amano and Yukari had seen her disappear, so they believed her, too. But in the end Hitomi told she had run off- it was the simpliest answer to her classmates´questions.  
  
  
  
She dreamed about Van every night for the next three years, and after she graduated she decided to go back to Gaea. She knew her life there wouldn´t be easy- if she was with Van or not. She didn´t know about his feelings- they had stopped talking to each other shortly after his visit to the Mystic Moon.  
  
  
  
Van had been thinking of her, too. His feelings never changed. To keep his mind off Hitomi, he had worked hard- to the benefit of Fanellia. The country boomed, the old trade- routes had been reestablished, there was peace.  
  
  
  
Dryden and Millerna had stayed together, a little boy named Doran had just been born. Dryden was the king of Asturia now, and in his spare time he read and Millerna was in the hospital, helping the ill ones.  
  
  
  
Cid had returned to his castle, and rebuilt it. Van and Cid became close friends, having the same burden on their shoulders. The older Cid got, the more he had noticed his difference to his "father", then he had found his mother´s dairy. He knew, Allen was his father.  
  
  
  
Allen on his turn, was still a coeli- knight, but a independent one. He moved from one country to another, helping damsels in distress, stopping bandits. There were many knights now, who travelled Gaea.  
  
  
  
Merle still was with Van. She was always around, keeping him busy. It was Merle who found Hitomi. Van was the happiest man on Gaea when he embraced, kissed Hitomi. Nothing had changed between them. Soon after her arrival they married. They really were happy and the people of Fanellia loved to see their king happy.  
  
  
  
But fate interfered: One day Hitomi was running in the fields near the castle. It was her hobby to run. A poisonous serpent bit her into the ankle. First she got fever, then she lost consciousness. After two days Van was alone. She was burried next to Folken. They all attended the funeral. Sadness, desperation.....Hate....... crawled into Van´s heart.......and so he changed........that´s were the Serpent Chronicles start......  
  
  
  
"I´m so sorry Van to leave you.... without a heir....... forgive me........."  
  
  
  
  
  
Well, well........I know the beginning is quite sad....  
  
Please, R&R  
  
Cat´s Cradle 


	2. Emotionless

Standard Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah....I do NOT own Escaflowne  
  
  
  
  
  
The Serpent Chronicles  
  
  
  
Emotionless  
  
  
  
  
  
Sun was rising and the colours of the night changed from dark blue to deep red, orange and purple. Clouds were gold from the awakening sun. Mists were rising and kissed the grass, the trees and bushes. No sounds interrupted these peaceful moments- the rising of a new day. Lately, the mornings looked more beautiful than ever before.  
  
  
  
Then, as if on demand, it was getting noisy. Birds sang, dragonflies were hunting for insects near the lakes. People were waking. The smell of fresh backed bred moved through the city of Fanellia. You could see men and women greeting each other while they opened their shops or were going to work. There was the wife of the tailor with a bunch of fabrics, the fisherman returned from the lake with good fish- he was whistling after the tailor´s wife, and happy to see her face reddened.  
  
Fanellia was rebuilt!  
  
People were happy and cheerful, but as soon as they looked up to the dark towering castle their faces saddened. Old men were shaking their heads, women nodded knowingly, and the young were putting their heads together, chatting about the latest rumours on the king: some said that the king flew through the city when it was dark, others said his hair had turned white and that he had lost his soul. There were even rumours that said that the king was dead but his soul couldn´t find peace, so he had to stay in the castle.  
  
  
  
The fact that Van Slanzar de Fanel, king of Fanellia, hadn´t left the walls of the castle since his wife´s death were food for the mouths hungering for rumours. Nobody had seen him for FOUR years, now. Nevertheless, it seemed that the king noticed everything, that he was present any time. He had his sources of information, and the best spy-net of Gaea. Well, he needed it, if he wasn´t to go out. It was strictly forbidden to the people who worked in the castle, to give away any information about the king, nor were passer- bys allowed to set foot into the castle. Even his former closest friends weren´t allowed to see him.  
  
  
  
Only Merle could visit for three weeks of the year Dryden and Millerna, Cid, Allen and Celena. Since Hitomi´s death she wore black like everyone else who lived in the castle and worked for the king. No colours were allowed. Van would get soo angry that even Merle´d take refugee in some dark spot of the castle. The time Merle visited her friends gave her strenght. She had grown, was a woman now, but her life in the castle took her strenght. They all pleaded, she should leave Van, but she couldn´t. For she had hope that he might come out of his personal dark hell.  
  
  
  
In the beginning Allen, Millerna and Cid wanted to know everything, asking holes into poor Merle who´s tongue was tied. When she was crying and couldn´t stop anymore, they never asked her again. Millerna gave her medicine for herself and Van- for his nerves.  
  
  
  
  
  
"To hell with all that sunshine- I can´t see it anymore!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
It seems Van´s in a deep depression- for FOUR years......... Is there anything that could wake him up.........?  
  
R&R Please  
  
Cat´s Cradle 


	3. Coma

Standard Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah....I do NOT own Escaflowne  
  
  
  
  
  
The Serpent Chronicles  
  
  
  
Coma  
  
  
  
Merle had just returned from her visit to Asturia. She had been thankful for every moment she had spent there. Now she was on her way to report to Van. As she approached his rooms, her heart started beating like it wanted to jump out of her breast. She was AFRAID of Van, her dearest friend. She wanted to turn on her heels and run away, as far as possible.  
  
She opened the door to the dark rooms, like everywhere else in the casle the former coulourful wallpapers had been covered with black fabrics. Few candles gave some light.  
  
  
  
"Hello Van. How are you today?" No reply. As usual. She moved on, "I just returned from Asturia......"  
  
"Hm....."  
  
"They all send you their best wishes.....they´re very concearned about you......."  
  
"YOU DIDN´T TELL THEM ANYTHING; DID YOU?" he souted at her. Her heart was twisting. She felt like she´d faint, but she steadied herself.  
  
"Of course not. Your´re my king- I obey. But.....they´re your friends......"  
  
Suddenly she was smiling.........  
  
"Why are you smiling, Merle? Is there anything funny?"  
  
Nobody was allowed to laugh or smile; nobody´d dare and would do it. Merle had been thinking about Doran. He was such a sweet and lovely boy....... He made her laugh.....  
  
"NO! I beg your pardon." She shivered. She couldn´t tell him about Doran. It would make him think of Hitomi, and that he had no heir. Having no child was a fact that weighted him down. Van hadn´t heard her words because his mind was off.......anywhere and nowhere, but not at the place of his body or heart.  
  
  
  
"It´s ok, Merle. Go now." He had spoken in a softer tone than usual, reminding her and others that this cold, emotionless man had once been a soft, tender and warm-hearted young boy.  
  
  
  
The moment Merle left, Van was to himself again. He cursed the people who were happy with their wives or husbands, children. He didn´t want to hear any laughter. He sat on his big chair, legs pressing against his brest. In his hands he held her pendant and waited......He had been waiting for years now. Waiting for the tears to come, for relief. But he couldn´t cry. He couldn´t when she was lying in bed with fever, when she was unconscious, or when they put her coffin into the dark, cold earth. He needed relief, the tears.  
  
  
  
"I´m sorry to interrupt you, Your Majesty." It was Lord Molden, chief of security and Fanellia´s spy network.  
  
"What´s it, Molden?" Molden was the only person that Van talked to in a normal way, he was his councellor. Van trusted Molden to some extend, but in the years Van had gotten enormous suspicious.  
  
"The king of the Rovaan has installed a trade with the Moron and the Zaibach. Together they´d have a enormous military power. Are we going to act in any way?"  
  
"Is there any danger for Fanellia?"  
  
"Not yet. But Asturia will be hit by this union. The Moron were the most important trade partners of the Asturian."  
  
"So it´s not of our business......"  
  
"There some more news."  
  
"Go on...."  
  
"There are rumours about the Nordman taking over the the land of the Lavan dukes. This could really be a problem for us."  
  
"In how far?"  
  
"Well, there are the Lavan lands, the Gonin and then there is Freid, Asturia and Fanellia."  
  
"Tell me about the Nordman. What´s so special about them?"  
  
"Actually we don´t know much about them. They are fierce, fiery and unstoppable. Nobody knows about the strengh of their military force. What we know for sure is that they´re worshipping a wargodess and that their king is determent, clever, wise and diplomatic as long as it is to the benefit of his people."  
  
Van was starting to be interested. "Sounds like he´s a man of my calibre."  
  
Molden had an idea. "Your majesty, with the Nordman as our allies, we could take over......." He stopped talking as he saw Van´s face. Immediately he left the king´s rooms.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
OOOOOOhaaaaaaaaaaaa.................what´s that? Is their a new war to come? And what role has Van in it?  
  
Please R&R  
  
Cat´s Cradle 


	4. War at Rise- Interaction

Standard Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah....I do NOT own Escaflowne  
  
  
  
  
  
The Serpent Chronicles  
  
  
  
Wars at Rise  
  
  
  
  
  
Molden had run off...... though he wasn´t as afraid as the others, he knew when it was best to hold his tongue and get away.  
  
There would be a new war. Van could sense it. He was a swordsman, war had been his business, for some time.  
  
"The Nordman." He said aloud. What Molden didn´t know was that Van secretly supported the Nordman. They were more powerful any other country. Van was concearned about Fanellia, so he´d seal a pact with the Nordman. It had taken him so much to rebuilt Fanellia, it couldn´t be destroyed again because he went with the wrong partners. He had to be on the winner´s side. The Nordman´s side. "I´ll go there on my own, to make a deal with them."  
  
  
  
Van removed Escaflowne from it´s sleep and in the dark of the night he left Fanellia, direction Nordman´s lands.  
  
  
  
At the same time in Asturia another group was heading toward the North: Allen and Cid, together with Dryden. Millerna and Celena stayed in Asturia, to calm down the hot minds of the Asturian people.  
  
  
  
And another person was on her way: Merle. She had seen that Van had awakened Escaflowne and secretly left the castle. 


End file.
